


In Peace, Vigilance

by bramblefae



Series: Dailisa Cousland [4]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-30
Updated: 2014-05-30
Packaged: 2018-01-27 15:09:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 939
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1715018
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bramblefae/pseuds/bramblefae
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which the Queen takes the King's advice.</p>
            </blockquote>





	In Peace, Vigilance

Dailisa watched Nathaniel's form in the darkness of her room as he walked back to the bed after shutting the door. She felt his weight as he sat on the edge of the bed and she wanted to touch him. She had actually started to reach out when he spoke.  
"Dailisa, I can go. You just need to say." She did touch him, then, resting her hand on his arm. She felt his muscle stiffen underneath her touch and frowned slightly.  
"Nathaniel. I obviously don't want you to go. I said so. What I want to know is what brought you?"  
"I..." He drew a deep breath, and Dailisa could nearly feel him steel himself. "I came because I want you." He turned toward her and took her hand off his arm and held it. "I came because I was afraid I'd never get the nerve again. Tell me to go and I will."  
Dailisa squeezed Nathaniel's hand. "I don't want you to go."  
He squeezed back with the breath of a laugh. "Glad that's settled. Now what?"  
She let his hand go and scooted over in her bed. "Well, whatever else goes on-no boots on my bed. Start there."  
He did laugh then, deep and quiet, and pulled his boots off, setting them neatly beside the bed. Then he reached behind his head and smoothly pulled his tunic off, dropping it on top of his boots. Dailisa watched this with large eyes and and as Nathaniel turned around to scoot into the bed, he saw her face and became still.  
"Are you afraid of me?"  
"Of you? No..."  
He narrowed his eyes slightly and slowly crawled onto the bed and sat beside her, stretching his long legs out. He opened his arm and said, "Come here."  
Dailisa scooted into his side and sighed as he put his arm around her.   
"You've never made love to anyone but Alistair."  
Dailisa stiffened and started to pull away, but Nathaniel held her. "I am not mocking you. It just hadn't occurred to me. Let's start with talking, then, shall we?"  
She leaned back against his torso and rested the back of her head on his shoulder. "Have you been with a lot of women?" He stiffened, then relaxed and chuckled.   
"Not too many, I would think. I was too busy, mostly, sneaking around the forests in the Free Marches."  
The image of the stoic man beside her hiding in a tree, looking for game made her smile. Still smiling she asked, "Did you love them, then?"  
Nathaniel drew a sigh and absently ran his hand down her arm. As she shivered in response, he said, "There was always affection and friendship." He brought his left hand up to Dailisa's face and turned her to look up into his face. "But, no. Never love."  
Dailisa met his gaze and softly asked, "And now?" He leaned down and kissed her gently, smiling against her mouth, "Now, yes. Maker, yes, there's love."

 

**::**::**

Dailisa was stretched out along the length of Nathaniel's body, absently tracing a pattern through the hair on his chest, occasionally flicking a fingernail over one of his nipples. He enjoyed the novelty of this distraction for a few minutes, before he asked, "Are you enjoying yourself?"  
She rolled slightly onto him and rested her chin on his chest to look at him. "Yes, actually. You're incredibly hairy." She put her head down and went back to her tracings until he grabbed her hand, stilling it.  
"I'm also ticklish. Stop that." He ran a hand softly down her back, stopping when he reached the scar on her back.   
Dailisa shuddered lightly. "In War, Victory and all that."  
Nathaniel started, then reflexively embraced her. "That's from the Archdemon? Maker, it goes from..."  
"From my tailbone to my armpit. Yes. I know. I was apparently nearly cut in half. Wynne -she was the old mage we spoke to in Amaranthine-was able to get me patched up enough to walk away. She's formidable, that one."  
Nate stared down at her in wonder. "And you just got up and finished it off?"  
She chuckled into his chest and raised her head to smile at him. "Would you like to know a secret?" He raised an eyebrow and she laid her head back down on his chest and went on. "I don't know how long we'd been fighting that thing, but it was nearly dead, so of course Alistair and I called off anyone who wasn't a Warden. Wynne and whoever was left from the Circle kept us alive, and neither of us had a shield left so we're just making blind jabs at the thing."  
Nathaniel exhaled and Dailisa nodded. "Suddenly I can't find Alistair, and as I look around for him, panicked a little, you know, I see him, running toward me, underneath the fucking thing, with his sword in both hands, over his head, slicing as he went, and he's just covered in blood and ick, the thing falters and kind of falls over and Alistair, the foolish ass, jumps on its neck, trying to get to its head. It lashed out, trying to dislodge him, I think. And got me, instead. I woke up, the Archdemon was dead, I was in a shitload of pain, and Alistair was lecturing me about never doing that again."  
Nate embraced her suddenly. "I bet he was terrified. I've had a question about that, though, since you taught us about how the Blight works."  
Dailisa smiled knowingly. "In Death, Sacrifice?" She reached up, kissed his nose and sat up. "That, ser, is a secret for another time."

 

**Author's Note:**

> I have never had such a hard time writing something. I really hope this comes across not super cheesy. :)


End file.
